The season 4 premiere of Royal Pains debuts tomorrow (Wednesday) on USA Network at 9/8C.
After last season's finale saw the dissolution of Hank Med as Hank and Evan Lawson went in different directions, the theme of the premiere is family. Not only are the Lawsons trying to figure out their new arrangement, the families of Divya, Raj, and Jill are added in the mix along with a wealth of family quotes:
Divya: "First of all, they are family to me. And second, you got involved."
Divya: "We should make family dinner a weekly thing."
Ernie: "Well, I have 3 younger siblings, an ex-wife, and a teenage son. Could you narrow it down a bit?"
"Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down"
The episode picks up the day after the finale. Divya runs into her parents at the beginning of HarborFest, a huge Hamptons celebration. Both Hank and Evan have started setting their new plans in motion, and Evan has divided the business assets. Things are rocky when both brothers realize how serious the other one is. Hank asked Jill to help him set up the business side of being a concierge doctor. Evan asked Dr. Van Dyke to step in for Hank Med. Divya is frustrated with both of them. However, there is a festival of people bound to need medical help so HankMed 1.0 will have one last hurrah. Divya: "So what happens on Monday?" Hank: "We'll go our separate ways."
Meanwhile at McGillicuddy's Dining Room, Jill's brother faces a different strife - big business changing life for the small Hamptons businessman. Jill's brother Ernie, played by Donal Logue, is particularly perturbed by how the HarborFest is becoming Walmart-ized. "I'm just saying…chain restaurants with tasting booths, a professional competing in the eat-off. This thing used to be about local fishermen. It was about the community." Divya comes to take Jill away and discuss the Lawson brother feud, only to learn that Evan used her shares to take over Hank Med. An unhappy Divya leaves Jill to her own family strife in order to fix the brothers' problem. "Well I'll let you get back to shucking oysters. I'm going to go shuck Evan." Jill on the other hand calls Hank to fix her brother, who has sliced his hand mid-rant. Ernie, aware that his son is right there, makes me laugh by uttering the most inventive substitute cursing of them all. "Mother fun times at McGillicuddy's."
While Hank is doctoring, Evan soon learns that Hank Med 2.0 isn't going to be as easy as he thought when a patient drops by unexpectedly. Patient: "So to recap. Hank Med has no Hank. You have a new Hank, but he can't see me now or anytime soon." It gets worse when he realizes that Dr. Van Dyke is only interested in being a part-time Hank, meaning Evan has to hire 2 doctors. The new doctor played by Ben Shenkman is bound to be interesting. Throw in a competitive eater with stomach problems and complications with Ernie and you've got a textbook Royal Pains episode. Except this one has an explosive ending!
In the end, we learn that too much of anything can hurt you, families are both the best and worst part of us, and a Royal Pains finale ending has nothing on its premiere's ending. Check out the episode tomorrow night, Wednesday June 6 on the USA Network at 9/8C.
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